


When the Past Comes Haunting (Discontinued)

by Ralli



Series: Nice Coat [4]
Category: Homestuck
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Family Secrets, Ghosts, Karkat Swearing, M/M, Mystery, Road Trip, Tags May Change, like a lot
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-07
Updated: 2020-06-19
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:07:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,608
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22605973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ralli/pseuds/Ralli
Summary: After 3 weeks of dreaming about the night before he lost his father, Karkat finally connects the strange happenings in his home with a haunting. After a few phone calls and a visit from local ghost hunter and ghost, Aradia Megido, later and suddenly there's more pressing matters than a haunting. Karkat's brother is missing, according to their father's ghost. After a trip to visit his still very much present, and very much annoying, brother, he thinks his dad might have been wrong.Only there's something very wrong going on in the town Kankri lives in, and it's all centered around the older of the Vantas brothers.(Discontinued, sorry)
Relationships: Cronus Ampora/Kankri Vantas, Dave Strider/Karkat Vantas, Sollux Captor & Karkat Vantas, Sollux Captor/Aradia Megido, The Disciple/The Signless | The Sufferer
Series: Nice Coat [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1608049
Comments: 6
Kudos: 61





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi so this fic is the official sequel to Nice Coat and it's gonna be weird if you read this one first, but if you have a good imagination then i guess you could read this on it's own. I recommend reading the first though, considering it focuses more primarily on Karkat and Dave's relationship while this one is more about Karkat's past and his family.

One of Karkat’s earliest memories involves a table, scratched to hell from cat claws with a surface that’s more coffee stain ringlets than varnish, and a family dinner. He can never quite remember what they ate, but it felt like a spaghetti night. Kankri sat next to him, blabbing on and on about today at school to their father, sitting across from them.

Karkat’s father, Kaden Vantas, was a kind but stern man when Karkat was growing up. He was an accountant by day, and a human rights activist by night. When Karkat was little, he imagined his dad as some super cool vigilante that snuck out at night to go light fires and start shit. The actuality happened to be much less awesome, but that didn’t stop him from thinking his father was some revolutionary figure. 

Tonight, though, Kaden Vantas was a father first and foremost to Karkat. Dinner was normal as always, even if Karkat can’t remember previous dinners, he can remember the feeling that nothing had changed. His dad sat across from him, Kankri sat next to him, Karkat swung his legs under the table (they were just too short to reach unless he stuck his tiptoes down. Kankri could already reach the ground while sitting, and it made Karkat deeply jealous). By all definitions of the word, it was a normal day. 

As the saying goes, hindsight is 20/20. Karkat wishes he had been nicer to his family that day. They were good people and even better family members, but Karkat was a little kid, pissed off for no reason, and intent on pissing off those around him. Now, he wishes he had said ‘I love you’ instead of ‘go away, Dad! I can tuck in myself.’ That was the last normal night. Kaden Vantas got shot at a rally he attended the next day, leaving behind two traumatized brothers, and no direction for his sons. Hindsight, as Karkat learned, is also a bitch. 

It takes Karkat a moment to realize that he’s dreaming again. Dreaming about that night, feeling the wooden chair under the pads of his fingers, hearing his father’s rich voice carry through the small room. Karkat can’t tell what he’s saying, his father sounds like he’s underwater, but the tone comes back. It’s got the familiar warm feeling he always got when his father shared stories. It’s bittersweet, because he knows he’s dreaming. 

_ You have to find him _ someone whispers, right next to his ear.

Who?, he thinks. A gentle, rough hand nudges his head towards his brother. 

_ Karkat _ the voice whispers, with the familiar lilt that his father had.  _ Karkat _ . It’s got such warmth but such sorrow to it. Karkat tastes salt on his lips and realizes he’s crying. But he’s not sad, is he? Someone hugs him in a firm embrace. 

“Karkat, wake up!” It no longer sounds like his father. 

Someone is shaking him. Wait, those eyes. Dave. Karkat blinks up at his boyfriend. “I’m up, I’m up.” 

“You were crying in your sleep again,” Dave says. His sunglasses rest on the nightstand, bared red eyes glowing very softly in the darkness. 

“Yeah well it was the same dream again,” Karkat groans. “I’m starting to get a bad feeling about it.” 

Third week in a row of him waking up with tears stinging his eyes. Third week in a row of that stupid fucking dream. It’s grating on his nerves and hurting his teaching. He’s getting sloppy with his grading work. It doesn’t sound like much, but a failing grade can get some students in deep trouble at home. 

Most importantly, it’s giving him doubts about his brother’s safety. They split up after they aged out of the system, Kankri leaving first. Karkat was stuck in foster home after foster home until he, too got his own apartment. He finally ran into his brother again by chance at a mall, married and living halfway across the country. It’s been years since he’s seen his brother, Kankri, let alone talked to him. He sighs and pulls Dave down from his leaning position so he can stick his face in Dave’s chest. 

“Ugh. I should probably call my brother,” Karkat mutters into Dave’s pj shirt. “I hope he still has the same number. I should at least see if he’s ok, for my peace of mind.” 

Dave snorts and wraps his arms around Karkat. “Not at four in the morning.” 

“Damn is it really that early? The fuck were you doing up? Did I hit you in my sleep?” Karkat untucked his face from Dave’s torso.

At this Dave looks a little somber for a moment, near on contemplative, and Karkat relishes in being able to read the little micro-expression on his boyfriend’s face without the inhibitor of his beloved shades. Dave’s eyes dart around a bit, searching but not really looking for anything in particular. “I don’t know. I thought someone was shaking me awake. I could have  _ sworn _ someone wash shaking me, actually.” 

Dave shivers for a moment and looks confused. “They had really cold hands.” His own hands reach up to rub at his shoulders and upper arm. 

Something about Dave’s confession and the occurrence of the dream strikes a chord with Karkat, like a smell he just can’t remember where he knows it from. Cold. It has something to do with cold. 

“That’s… that’s really strange,” Karkat starts. 

Dave nods in agreement, staring off into the room beyond Karkat. He watches the darkened area for a moment more before something slams deeper in the house. They both jump. 

“The hell and fuck was that?” Karkat spits, turning over to sit up as Dave does the same. 

Dave stares at the closed door to their bedroom. “That sounded like the cupboards, and if horror movies taught me anything, we should not go and investigate.” 

Just as he finishes saying that, the door slowly creaks open. Karkat just throws his head back and groans. “Fuck. Ok. I’m calling Aradia!” 

His boyfriend shoots him a look. “Who’s Aradia? Local ghostbuster?” 

“More like local ghost. She’s attached to Sollux, who you met a month ago at that one party that I refuse to call by it’s given name. Sollux has a little bit of her bone in a necklace that he keeps on him per her request. She’s an expert on all things haunting,” Karkat explains while he pulls up Sollux’s number on his phone. 

Like usual, Sollux is up, and definitely not because he’s an early bird. It’s not possible to be an early bird if one doesn’t sleep enough to have a time of day be ‘early’. 

“Hey Sollux, is Aradia around?” Karkat asks, an eye flying to the door as it starts to waver back and forth. 

“Oh good, can you put her on the phone? To the best of your ability, of course,” Karkat speaks into the phone. 

The door closes shut with a bang and Karkat winces. “What was that Aradia? Couldn’t hear you over the slight ghost problem we’re having.” 

Sollux and Aradia arrived about an hour later. Sollux plops down in the nearest table, pulling out his phone and letting Aradia, who came in through the wall next to the door do her thing. She starts looking around the moment she enters the room. Dave stands off to the side, nervously shifting from side to side. His shades are forgotten in the bedroom, and his eyes betray his stony face. He’s worried. 

“It’s not malevolent, just frustrated,” Aradia says. “It’s been here too long. I guess I should say he. He’s desperate.” 

Aradia takes another look around before her eyes fixate on a spot right above Karkat. Karkat’s back feels cold for a moment, before he feels hands settle on his shoulder and catches a glimpse of mocha skin as cold fingers dig slightly into his shirt. Karkat can’t see anymore of the mysterious figure. Something is keeping him from turning, whether it’s ghostly or his own apprehension, he doesn’t know. Dave makes a choked sound from where he stands in the kitchen. 

Aradia makes a surprised face. “He looks just like you, Karkat.” 

Sollux looks up at that, face shifting from curious to shocked. “Mithter Vantath?” 

“My dad?” Karkat asks, confused. Sollux met his dad at least a hundred times when he used to come over to hang out. Despite his Dad’s best efforts, Sollux only ever called him Mister Vantas. “Why’s my dad a ghost?” 

Something warm blooms in his chest. He feels something peaceful. It’s overwhelming, coming in waves big as tsunamis. His throat closes before he can say anything, and his eyes flick to Dave for a moment. The room becomes blurry as his eyes fill with tears. 

“He’s trying to tell me something,” Aradia says softly. “He’s just mouthing words, even to me. I could hear him if he tried. He’s saying something. Over and Over.”

Karkat still can’t turn around. Tears drip down his cheeks as he strains himself to listen. He can hear faint whispers, like a voice lost to the past. 

“Kankri. He’s saying Kankri over and over,” Aradia finally tells him. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I have half a thought for how this story should go, and this is my first mystery story, so it's definitely gonna take a lot longer for me to update. If I haven't updated in a while it does not mean I've given up, it just means that I'm working on it. I know my last full story I updated like twice a week, expect something along the lines of maybe once every two weeks. I know it's a long time between updates, but bare with me here I kind of ran into this blind and I'm determined to see it through so,   
> long story short, this is gonna take a while to update and a while to complete. Sorry for the inconvenience and if anyone has any tips or knows any good sites with advice on how to write a mystery that doesn't involve murder, send them my way I have no idea what I'm doing.

The sun slowly comes up as Karkat fixes coffee for Sollux and himself, Dave sticking with just milk like a weirdo, while Aradia goes into a more ghostly form of herself to better connect with Mr. Vantas. It’s been a stressful few hours of Karkat repeatedly trying his brother’s number to no luck and Aradia phasing in and out of vision. Sollux keeps fingering the small casing keeping Aradia’s bone fragments like he’s worried she’ll disappear. 

Dave has long since retrieved his shades, leaning against the counter of the island. Mr. Vantas went less than corporal a few minutes after Karkat started bawling from the emotions his dad was accidently making him feel. He’s still a little sniffly, so making coffee is a great excuse to hide his face for a few minutes. From the kitchen he can hear Aradia occasionally talking to Sollux. 

The coffee maker beeps when it’s done and Karkat brings out the cup of life giving liquid to his friend. Sollux gives him a grateful look. With a sigh, Karkat turns to face the rest of the group. His father isn’t visible, but Aradia keeps saying he’s there. “So, I can’t get a hold of Kankri,” He starts, sipping his cup of coffee. 

“Doesn’t mean anything bad, Karkles. Weren’t you just saying to me last week that you haven’t seen your brother in years?” Dave tries to assure. 

A wave of guilt passes over Karkat. “Yeah… Best brother of year award is not coming my way.” 

Dave frowns. “That’s not what I meant, honey.” His tone is so gentle it makes Karkat feel bad about feeling bad. 

Sollux mimes gagging before sticking his split tongue out at the two. “Right in front of my thalad. Ugh. It’th not impothible that Kankri got a new number, KK.” 

“Exactly,” Dave agrees. “He’s probably fine. Your dad is probably just trying to get the two of you back together for family bonding, you know how parents are.” 

“Actually I don’t, Dave. Foster families were great, god bless them for dealing with me with how I was like at that age, but they weren’t  _ my _ parents. They weren’t  _ my _ family,” Karkat reminds him. “I don’t want to talk about this anymore. Let’s focus on Kankri.” 

Dave shoots him a look with so many different meanings centered around one general idea. His face screams that they are not done talking about it, since it’s clearly something Karkat should talk about, but Dave will let it go for now. Once they find Kankri. 

Sollux coughs in the awkward silence. “Tho, let’th thtart on thocial media. Fathebook, Twitter, Inthtagram. Karkat, take Fathebook. I’ll look on twitter and Dave can check out Inthtagram.” 

“Why do I get Instagram?” Dave huffs. He sounds offended. 

“Are you trying to tell me you don’t have an Instagram?” Karkat asks rhetorically. 

Dave tilts his head in an embarrassed manner. “I mean. I do. But it’s not like I’m super active on it.” 

“I follow you, DV,” Sollux inputs. “You potht a fucking lot.” 

. . .

Turns out Kankri isn’t on any social media, but his husband is. Cronus fucking Ampora. Eridan’s shitty older brother who used to chain smoke everywhere and liked to pretend he was a greaser apparently managed to get married to Kankri and posted a picture of them on his facebook. They’re smiling in the photo, Cronus has his arm around Kankri, taking the picture in front of a beautiful sunset somewhere in a tropical place. 

Kankri looks a lot like Kaden. Even more so than Karkat does at this point. He’s got the same serene look his father would have when he would get back from a successful rally. The look that maybe the world would be ok after all. But Kankri wears it differently, like he’s already in a world that’s ok for him. Kankri’s also still as baby faced as he was the day he left Karkat for adult life. 

Karkat guesses he got the stubble gene from his father instead of Kankri (not that it’s much stubble. He couldn’t fucking grow it out if he tried, he’s just look bad. Dave says the stubble makes for a ‘cute texture’ when they’re kissing, and Karkat totally doesn’t hinge his self esteem on his boyfriend’s opinion of him. Accept that he does because his boyfriend is part of the subset of creatures that are made to look absolutely stunning  _ and still he chooses Karkat over some super model that’s actually in his league _ ). Sollux does his hacker thing to find out where the photo was taken, but it’s a dead end because that was clearly a vacation to Hawaii photo, possibly a honeymoon photo. 

“Ok, I’m just going to message Cronus. If he doesn’t respond, we’ll talk to Eridan,” Karkat informs, laying out the plan. 

“Eridan is a shit. He’ll want to know why we want to talk to his brother over him,” Sollux spits out like he’s a king spitting a bite of a meal that doesn’t suit his fine pallet onto the chef that made it.

Karkat gives Sollux a sympathetic look. “I know you have beef with him, but he’s got a connection to my brother. Please put it aside for now at least. You don’t even have to be the one to talk to him. In fact I was thinking I should.” 

“What if neither of them have any answers?” Dave says. 

Karkat looks over at him. “Cross that bridge when we get there?” 

Dave nods shakily before looking away suddenly. Even without his eyes to give it away, Karkat can tell he’s feeling out of place. Before Dave even opens his mouth, Karkat knows what he’s going to say. “Maybe I shouldn’t be here for this. Seems like a very personal ‘Karkat’ thing and we really haven’t been together  _ that _ long. I mean, as much as I’d like to be all up in Karkat’s business, this is like, beyond that kind of business and I get if family things would be uncomfortable to have someone outside of family and close friends there to witness them.” 

Yeah, that’s what Karkat thought he was going to say. “Give us a moment Sollux.” 

Sollux answers with an eye roll and a muttered “go be gay” for the road as Karkat leads Dave back to their bedroom. The door closes behind them, the last sound in the room. The two of them stand in silence for a moment as Dave and Karkat stare at each other. Well, Karkat stares at his dim reflection in aviator shades, and Dave is probably squinting behind his glasses to see Karkat better in the darkened room. 

“Dave,” He starts. Then stops. He may have expected this but how does he respond to it? “You… You’re welcome in my family. It's a small family at the moment, but you’re.. You’re a part of it. If you want to be, of course. I know it hasn’t been super long, but it’s longer than most other people I’ve pulled into my family. Kanaya was in my life for a week before we grew closer. I get that this is a very personal thing, and I want you in my personal things.” 

“Yeah, I like your ‘personal things’ a lot,” Dave butts in, wiggling his eyebrows. 

“Ok, I walked into that one, but that intent still stands. I want you with me on this. You’re allowed to know shit about me, ok? We’re dating, for fuck sakes. You’re special to me and I love you more than you could imagine. Let me let you into my life.” 

Dave is silent for a moment, mouth slack. “Damn Karkat, that was romcom worthy.” 

“Goddamnit Dave. Just, welcome to the Vantas Family Bullshit... Officially,” Karkat finishes his little interactive speech with. 

“I think I like that. Being part of the Vantas Family Bullshit… Officially,” Dave says.

“Yeah, well. You might regret that when you meet Kankri. You think you can run your mouth,” Karkat grumbles. The tender moment’s over. He can go back to his slightly grumpy demeanor without setting off Dave’s insecurities. “Come on. Let’s go talk to my brother’s asshole husband and maybe his little brother.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If people didn't read the above note, general gist is this will take a while to update because I have no experience in writing a mystery and no idea where this is going to go, and if anyone has any tips please input your knowledge, great magicians of writing.   
> also side note, i hate writing sollux's lisp. it kills my eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said this would be more about Karkat's background and less about the Davekat relationship, and yet I simultaniously talked about Dave's background and their relationship in this chapter. I just can't stop writing fluff for these two instead of plot. But next chapter. Next chapter is gonna be plot. Or I'm going to go apeshit on my brain.

Karkat doesn’t really like his brother all that much. Maybe he did once, when he was younger, but his father’s death really put a rift between the two of them. Kankri got quiet, Karkat got lippy. Kankri was a model child with good manors and grades, Karkat was this half deranged thing thrown on some unsuspecting families doorstep. The only thing they’ve ever agreed on was leaving the system as fast as they could. Only, Karkat had this half idea that maybe, just maybe, Kankri would take him with him. As much Karkat hated Kankri, he loved his brother too. How could he not? They were taken into the same foster homes after Karkat got too much for the fosters, and he had no one.   
But Kankri left the second he got old enough, gifted with enough cash to get some decent clothes to impress an employer and scholarships coming out of his ass. Karkat watched his brother walk out of the door for the last time with a box of stuff on his brother’s birthday. He left it all behind. More importantly, he left Karkat behind.   
So to say that he’s taking a few days off of work and packing up his stuff for his brother is an overstatement. To say that he’s been going through the week, waiting, and waiting for friday to No. He’s not doing it for Kankri, he tells himself as he sits and grimaces at his desk, shuffling papers blankly. He’s not doing this for Kankri, he repeats. He’s not doing to this to maybe, hopefully reconnect with his brother who sometimes misses a lot but shoves it down far far below a raging sea of bitterness and abandonment issues he thought he worked out-   
“Mr. Vantas?” One of the kids nearest to him calls out.   
He stops clutching the stack of papers hard enough to leave indents and takes a deep breath. “Yes?”   
“Where do we put our quizzes when we’re done?” The kid asks, timid in the quiet of the classroom.   
Karkat sighs and points to the metal tray clearly marked ``QUIZZES” in all caps. “Right there. And if you borrowed a pencil it goes in the cup beside it.”   
The student nods and Karkat goes back to shuffling papers until they’re in alphabetical order and starts grading last periods quizzes. He angrily marks a lot of good grades (he’s not mad at the kids for getting good grades, he just mad in general) and tries to put his reasonings behind him. But he’s definitely not doing this for his brother.   
Friday can’t come fast enough. By Thursday, though, Karkat is bouncing his leg at his desk and tapping his toes rapidly while he talks through his lesson. He’s practically buzzing with anxiety by the time he gets home, and it does not go unnoticed by Dave.   
“Hey,” Dave starts, his voice soft and calming, like honey sweetened chamomile tea before bed. “How are you doing?”   
Karkat slumps against Dave’s shoulder, wrapping his arms around Dave’s waist, the fabric of his shirt rubbing against Karkat’s hands as he clutches his boyfriend to him.   
“That bad, huh?” Dave asks.   
“Mnnnn no it’s really not. It’s my brother, not a fire breathing dragon,” Karkat groans.   
Dave nods sympathetically. “Maybe, the feeling’s still there, am I right?”   
Karkat nods into his shoulder. Dave somehow smells simultaneously like fresh laundry and stale Doritos. It’s not a great smell, but it’s just so Dave that it’s all right in Karkat’s books.   
“I want this fucking trip to be over already, but I also don’t want it to start,” Karkat admits, feeling a little bit like an indecisive teenager again. Only this time he’s actually talking about instead of hiding behind red hot walls of anger that burned anyone who touched them, including him.   
“Now that, I understand. I’ve got a famous uncle, believe it or not. Bro’s side of the family. He’s a movie director, and pretty much everything I want to be. I met him once, when I was like, fifteen. I remember packing the car with Bro, just about ready to puke, before we headed to the airport. We were headed out to Texas to where Dirk lives.”   
Dave maneuvers them to the couch with a few hasty steps, collapsing onto the plush cushions before continuing.   
“I did throw up on the plane at least once. Bro was cackling. Well, he wasn’t cackling. I don’t think I’ve ever heard him laugh. But he had that look on his face, the one that said he was laughing, but internally. Use to scare the shit out of me, thinking I did something wrong that warranted laughter. Turns out he just has a weird ass sense of humor.   
“But anyway, we got there and I remember thinking, holy shit, it’s hot as balls here. If I don’t die of anxiety it’ll be heatstroke. And he was waiting there for us, with Dirk of course. And like six suited body guards. First thing Bro did was punch him in the gut for not keeping in touch. I thought Bro was gonna get his ass kicked by the ripped dudes in suits and ties.   
“D, that’s my uncle, just wheeze-laughed and ruffled Bro’s hair. I was so fucking anxious the entire time, just like ready to hurl the complimentary peanuts from the plane. Here was my role model, the man I wanted to become, and he’s calling my older brother a dick-wad and smiling and looking like a normal person. I didn’t know what to do.”  
Karkat leans against Dave with a soft sigh. His voice is better at relaxing Karkat than anything he’s tried in the past years to de-stress. Better than yoga or weed (he tried it once in college when Sollux was dating the local dealer. It was fun, but not something he would repeat).   
“Then he turned to me and smiled real friendly and asked me “how you doing, kiddo?” in that trademark Texas accent I’d heard so many times online in interviews, and I just froze like a deer in headlights, but like times twenty. Each of my brain cells was one deer with one pair of headlights. It was freeze city all up in my brain.   
“Bro nudged D and said something along the lines of ‘he’s your biggest fan’ and I flushed so red. I was so ready for it to be over. I wanted to be on a plane, back to New York, that very instant. Three more seconds of silence and I was going to start rambling something fierce. Dirk saved me by literally dragging me away to go get some overly expensive airport food.   
“I spent the rest of the trip skirting around D until he sat me down and we had a good long chat about why I admired him so much. He gave me great advice on what classes to take in college and shit like that. Then he told me about directing movies and how hard it can be.   
“I still text him every now and then, talk about college and whatnot. It’s a surprise that I haven’t been annoyed by the vultures that always surround him.”   
Karkat smiles. “Sounds awful, hon.”   
“Yeah well, it won’t go like that with yours. You’ll find your brother, he’ll shit a brick in surprise, and you’ll have the brotherly reconciliation you so rightly deserve,” Dave says.   
“That’s incredibly confident of you.”   
Dave tilts his chin up, a knightly expression on his face. “I’ll be confident enough for the both of us. Confidence is my new middle name. I may not have had a middle name before, but now it’s confidence. I’ll walk into a bar and people will look at me, then look at their friends and shout, ‘That’s Dave Confidence Strider!’ and watch the football players score 3 pointers from the goal line. It’s a fucking home run! And they’ll turn back to me and say ‘That’s Dave Confidence Strider for you. Always showing up and suddenly the team are winning. Confidence coming out of his ass.”   
Karkat groans. “Your lack of respect for the English language is appalling.”   
“You’ll be there too of course,” He trucks on. “Looking all pretty and respectable, like a college English teacher just here at the bar to unwind and uh oh my internal hottie Geiger counter is going nuts whenever I look over at you. And then I mosey on up, just a lonely selkie looking for some quality company-”   
“Keep going with the tirade and you can get your quality company elsewhere,” Karkat jokes.   
“Nah, but seriously, you’re at least a nine, nine point five on the hottie Geiger counter,” Dave responds, a sly smile on his face.   
Karkat grabs a pillow from behind him and shoves it in Dave’s face.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi sorry for the tiny chapter, i just needed to get something out after way to long between updates. I have some news about the Coronavirus. My school is fucking closed for 28 days. Even with that, don't expect too many updates, because I gotta figure out stuff with the e-learning we're doing and it's gonna be a very stressful 28 days. i'll try to push a couple chapters out sooner than I've done in the past, but no promises.   
> On another, less stressful note, I figured out where I want this story to go, and the tags may change but I promise they won't change much. I'm also finally out my writing slump, and trying to produce chapters that aren't complete shit. I hope y'all don't have to deal with corona wherever you live but if you do, then rip and please wash your hands.

Friday morning starts with a cup coffee for Karkat and hot chocolate for Dave. It also starts with packing the trunk in the crisp morning chill of early spring. They decided to take Dave’s car. Karkat’s junker might not actually make it to Michigan, and it’s trunk space is minimal, the backseat is messy, and Karkat’s pretty sure the engine is more grime than metal at this point.   
They leave the house at 8:25-ish, intending to leave at 8 sharp, but Karkat needed more coffee. Coffee is going to be his best friend this entire trip. Kankri always had a way of being fucking exhausting, even when they were kids.   
They take things in shifts, every two hours on the road switching drivers. They pass into Canada with little fuss and make their way to the first hotel they’re staying at. It’s cozy, but not so small that it doesn’t get enough money to keep it clean. Karkat pays for dinner at the adjacent restaurant. They’re back on the road bright and early next morning. They cross over into Detroit, Michigan around noon the next day on Route 3.   
They get to Lansing after another hour or so. Karkat pulls him and Dave into the parking lot of an apartment complex and parks in the first open space. This place reminds Karkat of his little complex back home in NY. It’s a cookie cutter, tictacky mess, but it still manages to feel breathable. Following instructions given to them by Eridan’s older brother, they find their way to the specific building. Karkat’s palms feels sweaty when he reaches for Dave’s hand. His stomach is not just rolling with anxiety, it’s doing the fucking Can Can. Not a fire breathing dragon, he reminds himself. Just a normal human, who probably doesn’t even know there are things other than humans.   
Dave’s the one who knocks, since Karkat can’t let go of his hand. The other, usually reserved for throwing up the middle finger while walking with Dave, is frozen to his side as he stares at the little plastic numbers decorated to look like metal. Apartment 205, building 3112.   
The bolt clicks before the door opens, giving Karkat a second to prepare before it swings on its hinges with barely a sound. A man stands on the threshold, wearing a bright fucking red turtleneck with curls to rival Karkat’s. Karkat stiffens and squeezes Dave’s hand.   
The man, Kankri, regards them both for a second before focusing on Karkat. Something of recognition reaches his eyes before he gives a polite smile. “Well, clearly, you’ve grown a bit since we last met, brother mine…”   
Karkat prickles like a porcupine. “Fucking really, Kankri? Not even an ‘I missed you’ or ‘It’s so good to see you’? You comment on my fucking height? Rude.”   
The other lifts an eyebrow. “And now I know that you’ve grown in stature but not in nature. It’s also rude to show up unannounced and uninvited, Karkat. I thought Mr. and Mrs. Slick taught you some manners.”   
“Don’t you mention them, fuckface,” Karkat cuts in.   
“How did you even get my address? Did your little hacker friend, what was his name, Sampson? Sal? Did he find it for you?”   
Karkat grits his teeth. “His name is Sollux and no. There wasn’t enough information to find you that way. We asked your husband.”   
“Mmm. I’ll have to reiterate to him to stop giving my information out. Why are you here? I can’t assume this a social call, or else you would have down this a long time ago.” Kankri sounds to fucking sure of himself. It makes Karkat’s blood boil.   
“Maybe I needed a break from your fucking pretentious attitude before I was forced to deal with it again,” Karkat spits out. Dave tightens his grip on Karkat’s hand, just a fraction, and for a moment Karkat realizes he forgot Dave was there. He lets out the lungs in his air through his teeth. “I’m here because Dad told me to come here. He said I had to find you.”   
Kankri’s face hardens at the mention of Dad. “Well, I suppose that’s good enough reason, even if you methods of looking for me were a complete invasion of privacy and your language can be very triggering.”   
“Can it, Ree. I know.” Karkat doesn’t realize he let the nickname slip through until it’s out (Kankri was a very hard name for a child to say. Kankri became Reeree and morphed into Ree, up until they split ways. Then it went back to Kankri).   
They stood in some sort of bland standoff until Kankri blinked and shuffled back a bit. “Want to come in? I guess we should discuss what’s going on, especially if Dad’s ghost is coming to give you cryptic warnings.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't fucking know how to write Kankri so he's probably super OC, sorry Kankri stans.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For all of y'all who didn't read the A/N this chapter is replacing, my computer stopped working due to circumstances involving my dad going to the hospital (not coronavirus related) and me staying at a friends house, so this chapter is later then I intended to it to be. For y'all who did read the A/N, i forgot to mention that my dad is gonna be fine and I'm home now.

Kankri’s apartment is incredibly clean, suspiciously so. It looks unlived in, almost clinical. Karkat bets that he could eat off the kitchen floor and only get mildly sick. The counter-tops are slick and shiny looking unused. The stove, something that should by all means be kind of dirty if it’s been used, sits out-of-the-box looking new. The place doesn’t even smell like anything. 

Karkat stares at Kankri from the couch he and Dave have been seated upon. It, too, was clean. Through narrowed eyes, Kankri surveys the two of them, his lips pinched together slightly.

“This is a family matter, Karkat. Why is a non-family member here?” He asks after a moment. Karkat can almost hear the eyebrow raise and the unsaid question _‘what importance is he to you, so I know how early I can try to kick him out.’_

“Dave’s more family than you at this point, Ree,” Karkat says right back. _‘Important enough that you can’t get rid of him.’_

That pesky eyebrow of masked disappointment goes through the usual routine of raising for a second before falling back in place. “Alright. What’s his name?” 

Kankri, you bastard, Karkat thought, stop ignoring him like an asshole. “Why don’t you ask him yourself?” 

Dave slowly grabs Karkat’s hand. “Name’s Dave Strider. I met Karkat last year at my sister’s wedding.” 

Kankri sniffs. “Well, with that out of the way, I’d like to talk to my brother in private. I promise to be quick, I am a busy man after all. I have a church service to run in an hour and a half.” 

Karkat clutches Dave’s hand before he can move. “He’ll leave if he wants to, not if you want him to. And if you don’t have time today then we can make some time another day. We have a day or two before we really need to leave, right hon?” 

Dave gives him a look at the pet name, like sharing an inside joke, and a grin spreads across his face. “Of course, babe. If we drive through the night we have a total of three days before we make people angry back home.” 

“Karkat, some people find pet names triggering, you should refrain in public from using them,” Kankri huffs out. 

Now that’s a familiar word. ‘Triggering this and triggering blah blah blah’ “This isn’t public, Kankri, it’s in a fucking apartment,” Karkat argues. 

Kankri curls his upper lip slightly and sighs. “Just, refrain please.” 

“Fine,” Karkat compromises. “I’ve got some questions, starting with how did you find out about the other side of society.” 

“You mean the non-human community? Sight runs in the family, Karkat. Dad could see them too, he just never spoke of it. It’s our bloodline that makes us special.” Kankri crosses his legs. “I talked to some of the people Dad was friends with. A shapeshifter known as Disciple. Do you remember her? She used to watch us a lot when we were younger.” 

Karkat casts his mind back with furrowed brows. He tries to think of those days when Dad was gone. They were rare, usually when he had to travel for a rally, but he doesn’t remember anyone staying with them. “No. I… I don’t.” 

“She was short most of the time, wild hair,” Kankri says with a reminiscent tone. 

Some fuzzy memory surfaces like a reflection in a dirty puddle. It felt tinged with green, like an outline. 

“You do remember her, don’t you?” Kankri. 

Karkat sighed. “Not much.” 

“She’s been helping me with some things Dad left behind,” Kankri said cryptically. “He had a lot of people who were relying on him.” 

“Why the fuck wouldn’t you call me for help then?” 

“It was a year after I left, you were still a kid,” Was all Kankri offered for an answer. 

Karkat kept his mouth closed. He wasn’t a kid for much longer after Kankri left. He grew up fast without someone to tell him to be a kid. “Why didn’t you call? At least once?” 

“Why didn’t you?” 

Something dark swirled in Karkat’s belly. “Why didn’t I? Maybe because you fucking left without saying goodbye. What was I supposed to think?” 

Kankri’s face fell, and the angry brew in Karkat’s stomach calmed a little. “That’s not… that’s not what I wanted to happen, Karkat. And I am sorry. I really am. I didn’t mean for us to split so far apart. Please believe me” 

“I believe you.” Karkat spoke after a tense moment. 

The silence lasted for a beat too long until Kankri stood, very obviously checked his watch and sighed. “I feel bad about cutting this short, but I have things I need to do, I have a church mass to lead and I’m sure you and your boyfriend need to find a place to stay.” 

Karkat stood when Kankri began talking, taking Dave with him by the hand. He sent a hard stare towards his brother and nodded sharply before heading for the door. 

“Nice to meet you?” he heard Dave mutter quietly as they left. 

. . .

“Well, I’d say that was an awkward success. I mean, at least he said he was sorry. But also, is it Michigan tradition to have mass on a Wednesday afternoon? I thought the old church ladies needed to have brunch after services or else the world would explode,” Dave starts once they’re in the car. 

Karkat rested his head against the steering wheel for a moment. The past hour and a half had been en emotional roller coaster. Despite himself, he smiled weakly at his boyfriend's words. But something Dave said caught his attention. “Dave.”

“Maybe they have brunch before church, to keep the universe’s balance.” 

“Dave.” 

“Are there even old ladies in Michigan? We haven’t seen any of them since we got here.” 

“DAVE.” 

“Yes, babe?” 

Karkat looked out the window. “We haven’t seen anyone for awhile. Period. And it is weird that mass is in the afternoon. That is weird right? I'm not going crazy?” 

“Now that you mention it, yeah,” Dave spitballs. “It could just be a weird time of day, maybe no one’s out.” 

Karkat nodded hesitantly. “You’re probably right.” He jimmied the key into the car and started the engine. “But also, Kankri's house didn't seem like anyone had lived in it for more than a day or two.”

Dave shrugged. "He seems like a stuck-up guy, no offense. Maybe he just like things clean." 

"That's reasonable." They pulled out of the parking lot. "So, find a hotel or early dinner?" 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAHHH sorry this pretty late!!! Remote Learning has me fucked six ways from Sunday and i've spent the past three weeks making a Renaissance Festival in minecraft for me and a few of my friends. Gotta 'hang out' with people without actually hanging out with them, social distancing and all. if you planned to travel please don't. Enjoy roadtrip fics, there's tons on this site, this one included even if it doesn't seem like it yet.  
> Also!!!!!!!! If you haven't read chapter 5 bc you think it's still an A/N it has been changed to the actual chapter 5, so go skedaddle and read that before you read this so you understand whats going on.

Turns out one of the hotels within their budget range had a restaurant connected to it (Dave liked to argue that they had no budget range, considering he had a lot of cash saved up from his bro just dumping it on him, and having his college mostly paid for by said guardian) so dinner and lodging got itself sorted out. Karkat poked at his salad, glaring at the mostly empty diner. It was too early for the dinner rush, but it still didn’t make sense that only a handful of workers showed up the entire hour he and Dave were there. Dave got a Grilled Cheese (a lightly toasted cheese sandwich and tomato bisque, the kids menu boasted) for ironic purposes. 

“God this feels fucked up,” Karkat muttered. “You’ve noticed that there’s no one here right?” 

Dave looks around the room. “Mmmmm, but that could be the hotel. Hotels always exist in a weird state of too empty and too full. You never see any other residents in a hotel, even though you know they’re there. It’s in the rules. And you’re not supposed make eye contact with anyone else in a hotel, act like they don’t exist. Everyone knows hotels in America are the largest cryptid out there.” 

“What?” 

“Ok maybe not everyone, but it’s mostly well known fact in the Community,” Dave says, matter of factly. 

“I wasn’t born into the Community, Dave. I didn’t know I had my weird sight thing until I was out of the house.” 

Dave nods slowly, like he just remembered Karkat is a human, born and raised. “Oh, right. Well, all hotels are connected. They have a hive mind and persist off of human uncomfortableness. It’s why you never stay in a hotel too long. I grew up with Dirk telling me that every time I went to visit. After about a month you come back home wrong. Too happy. Hotels sucked all the necessary awkwardness from them that makes ‘em seem like someone you want to be around.” 

“What the fuck, really? You’re not just being ironic?” Karkat asked. 

Dave huffed. “I wish I was. That would be such a good joke to wrap you up in.” 

“No it fucking wouldn’t,” He protests. “And seriously? I was supposed to learn this years after I discovered I could see monsters? You’d think that would be in the welcome pamphlet, which should actually be a thing, by the way.” 

“Agreed,” The blond sat back and nodded. His soup lay forgotten. “I’m full.” 

“And I’m not hungry,” Karkat concluded. “Head out of this hotel before I start acting weird and get too happy.” 

“Oh god forbid you be happy.” Dave stood up. The waiter passing by gave them both a weird look. 

“Yes, god forbid.” Karkat agreed absentmindedly while pulling out the cash to pay for dinner. 

“Sight-seeing?” Dave offered, along with his arm. 

“Not sure there’s much to fucking see,” Karkat responded, slipping his arm into the crook of Dave’s. “Small town just outside of Lansing can’t really have much to check out, right?” 

“We passed that massive church on the way here, yeah? Looked abandoned. We could do some exploring! Maybe find some bones for my collection.” Dave smiled excitedly. 

“I’m putting my foot down at that one. Sight seeing sounds better and safer.” Karkat grimaced at the thought. “I’d like to go home with my life and as little injuries as possible.” 

. . . 

Karkat was right. There’s not much in the town to look at, especially with how dead the town seems. He could count the number of people just walking around on one hand, and most of them _stare_ directly at him, following him down the street with their eyes, like they’ve seen a ghost or something. He hasn’t stopped clutching Dave’s hand on the clutch as they drive around, trying to get their bearings. 

It’s creepy, sure, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the church at the end of the street. 

It’s tall, that's the first thing Karkat notices as he cranes his neck up to look at the imposing structure. Red stained glass windows framed a silver cancer zodiac symbol. The whole building is painted bright white, standing out against the green of the garden around it. But the building leaned slightly, casting sinister shadows. 

“Ain’t that your zodiac symbol?” 

Karkat turned back to look at Dave. “Yeah. Weird coincidence right? I wonder if this is the church Kankri works at, it’s his zodiac symbol too.”

Dave squeezed his hand. “What makes you think it’s a coincidence?” 

“What makes you think it’s not?” Karkat asked. There was no way it wasn’t anything but a coincidence. 

His boyfriend fell silent for a moment. “I mean, call me paranoid, but your dead dad tells you to find your brother, who lives in a creepy ass town and runs a church that hold mass on Wednesday, and lo and behold when we pass by the one church we’ve seen so far and it’s got you and your brother’s zodiac sign in fucking silver in the windows. 

“Just seems like too much revolved around you and your brother to be coincidence. You saw how people looked at you. It was like they recognized you. And that thing at the restaurant, though that could just be the hotel.” 

Karkat shrugged, his eyes trailing back to the windows. “Maybe the founder of the church was a cancer, it’s not like Kankri and I are the only ones in the whole world that are a cancer. And no one cares about zodiac signs anymore unless you're a forty-year old soccer mom with a facebook of minion memes.” 

He shifted the car into gear and started driving away. Dave’s head followed the church as it passed. 

“Well maybe they are. If anyone goes to church these days it’s forty-year old soccer moms with facebooks of minion memes. They just need to get depressed in this day and age and they’ll understand why god abandoned us.” Dave rubbed Karkat’s hand a little. 

“I hope you know that while I think you’re funny, these people might not and my older brother will definitely not and might talk your ear off for it,” Karkat warned, returning Dave’s affectionate touch with a squeeze. “Let’s get back to the hotel for the night. Enough creepy shit for today. We’ll talk to Kankri more tomorrow.”

Dave nodded but gave no other answer as yet another stranger did a double take when they spotted Karkat in the car. 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi yes really short filler chapter before shit hits the fan. This is the flushing of said shit, through the pipes until something goes wrong and it's shot out at terminal velocity at the fan. That's next chapter though, which will take a considerable amount of time to be posted because I'm not experienced with this type of writing. And as someone guessed, yes Kankri runs a cult, that's probably super apparent and no longer a spoiler, but it goes deeper than just a cult. Now that's a spoiler i shan't spill. Mainly bc it's a spoiler even to me. I have no idea exactly where I'm going with this.

Karkat pushed his face into the pillow with a muffled grunt. Why did this hotel not have a working elevator???? Five flights of stairs after a long day is just what Karkat fucking needs. After a moment of total darkness gifted by the pillow, he turned around and gave the ceiling a death glare.

“This kind of feels like a waste of time,” Karkat admitted. 

The bed dipped as Dave sat down on the other side. “Why do you say that?” 

“Kankri seems fine, he’s not missing like Dad implied. Yeah the town is fucked up but it’s a small town in michigan, need I say more?” Karkat muttered. 

Dave laid down. “We had fun on the road trip, didn’t we? That had to count for something. I know I enjoyed listening to my beats with you. And this was a good spook. Kind of like a haunted house, but a haunted town instead. We should probably leave tomorrow though, unless we want to get sucked into the hotels’ influence.” 

Karkat smiled a little “Yeah. I’m sure you have another whole playlist of music.” 

Dave didn’t respond, but the springs creaked as he sat up. The blond walked to the only window and pulled the blackout curtains shut with a rattle. Karkat turned his head to watch, a little confused. The window already had white curtains covering it. 

The selkie turned to his bag by the door, rummaging around for something. He pulled something free from the confines of the fabric. “Hey, don’t move this from the door, k?” He showed off a rock, purple in coloration, perfectly square and slightly translucent. On the face of the rock was a rune carved in crude scratches. “On the go protection, courtesy of one Rose Lalonde-Maryam.”

“Don’t you think that’s a little overkill?”

“I dunno, I just got a bad feeling all of a sudden,” Dave answered as he crammed the stone into the corner of the room by the door. The rune started to glow faintly. He stared at the curtains before heading back to bed. 

“Who would come looking for us?” Karkat asked. 

Dave glanced towards the curtains. “I don’t know. It could be the hotel itself, but just in case, you know?” 

Karkat made a sympathetic noise. “Good news is we’re leaving tomorrow after our chat with Kankri.” 

The blond doesn’t look so sure. He gave one more look at the window before laying down and turning his back to it. He tugged his glasses off and handed them to Karkat to put on the nightstand. 

As his boyfriend’s breathing slowed, Karkat sat awake, one eye peeking over Dave’s shoulder to watch the curtains. He was too restless to sleep now, which is an absolute travesty of how his body felt, yearning for sleep and rest. Karkat bit his cheek lightly, eyebrows pinched in concern. Dave didn’t usually have bad feelings about things. Dave’s observant, but he’s smart enough to not worry too much unless it’s serious. The fact that the already weird ass town has his boyfriend on edge doesn’t make Karkat feel any better about being creeped out. 

Something caught Karkat’s eye in the darkness of the hotel room. The curtains fluttered. A gentle motion that had his heart skipping a beat. He stared at the curtains, tense with fear, as they fluttered some more. They moved gently, as if by some invisible breeze. His mind ran wild with ideas of what it could be. 

The AC beeps, the curtains stopped moving, and things clicked in Karkat’s head. _Just the ac,_ he thought to himself, _don’t be so fucking paranoid. You need sleep to drive tomorrow._ He closed his eyes and breathed deep, feeling the knot in his stomach loosen as he relaxed into Dave’s arm. Tomorrow they would hit the road after one more talk to Kankri. Tomorrow they would put this behind them. He fell asleep repeating that mantra in his head. The protection rune glowed softly into the night.

The AC beeped, and turned back on. The curtains fluttered. An eye peered through the crack, followed by another, then another, and another. They didn’t blink, just stared before moving silently to the side. The lock on the door clicked angrily in protest, the door knob rattling. Something scratched at the wood slowly, almost like testing the material. One finger at a time, down the door, _ssscccrrraaaatttcccchhhh_ . Down. _Ssssccccrrrraaaatttccchhh._ Down, past the silent door knob. _Sssssccccrrrraaattttccchhhh._ Down to the bottom of the door. _Sscccrrrraaattttt-_ and stopped. The protection rune hummed faintly. The two slept on. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a valid explanation as to why this is so late!!! My computer is completely broken, won’t even start up right. Transitioning to mobile google docs has been a nightmare. I also got a beta reader and we’re still working out a schedule. Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon. So sorry for the super long wait!!!

The next day, the two woke up to a grey sky and mist thick enough to fit the cliche, you know, the one with the knife and cutting and such. Trees blurred into ominous shadows from the hotel window. No birds chirped, the air still and stale. The smell of rain felt palpable when they stepped outside, invading Karkat’s nose. The fog hung heavy in the dreary air, making everything feel damp, even each breath riddled with moisture. The slight chill made goosebumps rise on Karkat’s exposed arms. His eyes roamed the parking lot, looking for Dave’s car. 

“This is definitely the spookiest video game level I’ve ever experienced in my life,” Dave commented, sticking a hand out from under the roof, seemingly checking for rain. Karkat turned to look at Dave as he continued speaking. “I’m kind of expecting, like a Bigfoot, or a Sirenhead just to come walking out of that smog. Or thousands of cat sized spiders. Or humanoid shapes just too far in the fog to see properly, but you just know know shit aint right with the figures, or even-” 

“Fuck, stop! Now that’s all I can think about. Nice going asshole.” Karkat shivered, giving a wary glance into the mist. Dave laughed, and Karkat hit him gently in the shoulder with the toiletries bag. “Oh, fuck you, let’s hurry up and pack the car. The faster we can talk to Kankri the faster we leave this creepy town.”

Dave hung his bright red letterman over his arm and snickered every time Karkat checked over his shoulder into the fog. 

As they finished packing the trunk, another car appeared from the fog, only to pull up right beside them into the parking space one over from Dave’s. Bright red in color and expensive looking, it rolled silently to a stop and parked with less fuss. Karkat, who watched warily, trying to see through the passenger side who sat at the wheel. He couldn’t see much through the tint in the window. The door opened and shut with a loud click, and a familiar curly mop of hair. All the dread piled up in Karkat’s stomach dissipated instantly. 

“Speak of the fucking devil and he shall arive, apparently in a nice car,” Karkat muttered, mainly to Dave.

“Babe, your brother owns a fucking Bugatti Chiron, that’s not just ‘a nice car’,” Dave hissed. It certainly made the relatively nice one holding all of their stuff look like Karkat’s hunk of junk. 

“I don’t know jack shit about cars,” Karkat whispered back.

“It’s a car really only a prick would drive, so I wouldn’t expect you to know,” The blond informed him, still whispering. 

“Why are we whispering?” Karkat asked in a hushed tone. 

“Because it’s important to keep your brother in suspense. Look at him,” Dave muttered, tilting his shades towards the elder Vantas while snaking a hand around Karkat’s arm to interlock their fingers. 

Kankri had rounded the car and was leaning gently against it, glasses gently misted over from the fog. He did not look like the kind of guy who would be driving the kind of car currently under him. He stared them down with this uncomfortable look on his face, as the stunned couple whispered back and forth to each other. 

The i-sucked-a-lemon look returned, lips pursed slightly. “I’d prefer if you didn’t talk about me like I’m not there.” 

“I was graciously telling my boyfriend that assholes belong between buttcheeks not on faces, despite the evidence standing right before us,” Karkat spit on instinct, a mix of shame and embarrassment at just how  _ childish _ he sounds (there’s a little bit of pride hidden in there, because  _ goddamn, that was creative _ ). 

Kankri visibly bit his cheek. “I also didn’t come here to be insulted. I get that you’re mad at me for leaving, but I already said I was sorry. There’s a world out there beyond how we feel, whether it’s regret or anger.” 

“What are you doing here, Kankri? How’d you even know where we were staying?” Karkat gritted his teeth. He worried for his teeth, all the grinding they were doing whenever Kankri even so much as popped into his head. 

“It’s a small town in Michigan, need I say more?” Kankri offered in place of a real answer. 

Dave had the audacity to giggle, squeezing Karkat’s hand. He could just imagine the ‘how ironic’ Dave had to be thinking at that moment. Karkat once again grinded his teeth together in a small effort to contain his rapidly growing annoyance. Yes, Karkat had just said the exact same thing yesterday. No, Dave did not need to comment on it. 

In place of scolding Dave, Karkat leveled his brother with a determined stare. “The lack of communication ended yesterday. Give me a real answer.”

Kankri’s eyes widened a fraction. “Fine, fine. Everyone here goes to the church. You look a lot like… a lot like Dad. He was important around this town, we all know who he is. As to what I’m here for, I heard that you were leaving today. Disciple wanted to see you, once she heard you were in town.” He gestured to the window of the passenger seat that Karkat couldn’t see through. 

As if she heard, the door cracked open and out stepped a tall woman. She dressed in green and black, hair cascading down her back, streaked with silvery grey. Thin spectacles rested on her nose, rimmed in purple. She had that kind of look about her that just radiated ‘big sibling’. If it weren’t for the grey hairs, Karkat would have guessed that she was a college student. 

She spoke with a tone that lit up some foggy and faint memories in his mind. “Kankri, you didn’t tell me he’d grown so big!” 

She looked Karkat up and down before her eyes fell on his hand interlocked with a much lighter colored one. He watched as she caught a glimpse of Dave, and saw the gears turn in her head. “You also didn’t tell me he brought his significant other, Kankri. Many congratulations, Karkat and…?” 

“Dave,” The blond answered and Karkat tightened his grip a fraction. 

She smiled. “Dave. Welcome to the family.” 

Karkat couldn’t see it, but if he had to guess Dave would be smiling a little. The silence between the two groups broke when Disciple closed the distance between Karkat and herself, pulling Karkat into a tight hug. Karkat couldn’t exactly place what she smelled like, something outdoors-y, or what Karkat would imagine a gardener would smell like. Dirt and plants, like she’d spent most of her time in the woods, or with her hands in soil. 

It took him back to the little apartment with the scratched up table, and the one too many cats, and the woman hugging him putting bandages on his scraped knees as he sniffled. He doesn’t remember how he got hurt, something with Kankri and a small accident while they were playing. 

She pulled away for a moment before settling her hands on his shoulders and looking at his face at different angles. “You look so much like Kaden.” Her eyes kept shifting color, framed by crow’s feet as she smiled. “Last time I saw you, you couldn’t even reach the countertops.” 

Karkat didn’t know what to say. His memories of Disciple were mostly foggy, just snippets of the big picture. “I’m… I’m really sorry. I don’t remember that well.” 

It didn’t dampen her mood. “Well, I wouldn’t expect you to! That was incredibly long ago.” She turned to look at Kankri for a moment. “I supposed you also wouldn’t remember much about your father then. Ree certainly didn’t.” a pause. “If you… I get it if you need to leave today, but I could… I could tell you some stories over some food? You and your boyfriend could come with us to this lovely little diner right beside the church?” 

Kankri’s lips unpursed a bit as he sighed. “We can take my car. It should fit everyone.” 

Dave’s giggle earned him Karkat’s elbow right in between the blond’s rips rib. Karkat smiled at Disciple. “I’ve moved on, and I’m trying to leave the past in the past.” He watched Disciple’s face fall. “But, we could still talk. I have questions, not Dad related.” 

Disciple smiled wide, revealing not quite human teeth. Sharper, and meaner looking, and a little creepy to see.

. . .

The diner was cute, with a name so generic Karkat hardly remembers what the big sign that lit up through the fog said. It read something along the lines of ‘(A name)’s Diner’ and could have come straight from a hollywood movie that took place in a small town. There was a bell that jingled when you walked in and people in 1950’s-60’s themed outfits with fabric that looked straight out of the eighties. It was almost surreal, like a liminal space, just on the edge of  _ something _ . 

It did not look like it belonged to the big white church with blood red windows Karkat saw from the car last night. 

With little fanfare, Disciple practically dragged Kankri and Karkat past the ‘seat yourself’ sign in comic Sans (comic fucking Sans what the hell is this place?!? Karkat privately thought to himself) and into a seat by the window. The smell of greasy comfort food wafted over Karkat's nose, making Karkat long for bacon and home fries. 

Disciple slid into the booth across from Karkat, all smiles and kind ever shifting eyes. If it weren’t for the eyes he would have forgotten that she was a part of the otherworldly community. 

Dave sat next to him and across from Kankri, nervously adjusting his shades as the older Vantas stared at the selkie. A waiter approached the table with a look of indifference, or perhaps ignorance, to the tension at the table. She asked for drinks, and when her eyes found his face they widened a bit. 

Karkat had a hard time focusing and missed her awed glance, his more eyes drawn to eerie fog floating past him. It sent shivers down his spine, Dave’s earlier words refusing to leave his mind. He thought, if he stared long enough he could just make out the shapes of the street next over. Just barely. He ended up ordering coffee, hoping the familiar and much beloved drink would ease his paranoia. She handed out menus and left with minimal staring at Karkat.

“So, why church on a wednesday?” Dave asks. 

“Wednesday is the middle of the week. It’s a good break for everyone in town. There’s optional meetings on Saturdays and Sundays too,” Kankri informs. “Of course, The church is always open for those who need my guidance. The head priestess, Delarosa, keeps it open even late into the night.” 

“Wow, she sounds pretty dedicated to God,” The blond says, sounding strained as if he didn’t know where to carry the conversation from there. 

“It’s kind of triggering that you assume when you hear church that you think Christianity. She is dedicated to helping people above worship, and we do not believe in god.” 

Disciple lays a hand on Kankri’s shoulder. “Ree, you don’t need to get so upset about this. It is called a church, which is the word most branches of Christianity call their place of worship.” 

“Who’s Delarosa?” The name sounded familiar to Karkat. How many people did he think he’d met before lived in this town? 

“She’s kind of like the mother figure of the church,” Disciple said. “Very involved with our cause.” 

Karkat eyes her for a moment, judging how likely she was to keep answering his questions. “Which is?” 

It was not Disciple who answered, surprisingly, but Kankri who took the job of introducing their religion. 

“In summary, creating a peaceful and beneficial link between the veil and the inhabitants on either side. If you want, Delarosa should be done with a lunch break around 12:30, and she could answer that more in depth,” Kankri filled in, a sense of pride dripping off his words. He almost literally puffed up when he continued on. “As someone who can breach that veil, my work in the church is very important. I get to teach others about the creatures that live just beyond sight.” 

“No offense, but that doesn’t really sound like a religion,” Karkat spoke bluntly. 

“We… invoke more spiritual ways for people to see through the veil and learn to be more aware of who they’re speaking to. It helps defuse situations where some of the Community aren’t really capable of acting human enough to ‘pass’ so to speak,” Kankri said. “It’s all for the benefit of the relations between monster and human. We’re trying to bring everyone together, and coexist.”

The same waiter comes up and asks for their order. Karkat forgot to even look at the menu and ordered waffles, plain, on impulse. Dave side eyed him from behind his glasses. Dave is one of those people who won’t eat waffles unless they’re swimming in syrup and have like, blue berries or some shit in it. Gross. At least his boyfriend ordered pancakes and bacon, not waffles. 

“Don’t take this the wrong way, Karkat, but how’d you get that scar on your nose?” Disciple asks, gently tracing the shape on her own nose. 

Karkat crinkled his eyebrows as he remembered the sickening crunch sound his nose made when the fist connected with it. “High school kid I pissed off. He was picking on a friend of mine and I told him off.” 

“Well, if you’d told an adult maybe you wouldn’t have gotten your nose broken.” Kankri muttered, probably not intending to be heard. 

“It was back in high school, Kankri! For fucks sake, can you not criticize everything I’ve done after you left?” He hissed out. 

Dave put his hand on Karkat’s arm gently, offering a small amount of comfort. 

“Well, had you listened to me before I left, maybe I wouldn’t have to criticize you. Violence is never the answer, Karkat,” Kankri shot back. 

“I wasn’t the one getting violent! I’m the one that got my nose broken,  _ Kankri _ .” 

“Don’t take that tone with me, I am older than you-“ 

“By like a year and half!!” Karkat went to stand, but Dave’s grip tightened and kept him sitting. 

Disciple’s voice cut through the argument before Kankri could respond. “Boys! Leave it in the past. Let’s have a civil breakfast, please?” 

The pair fell silent as the only few patrons in the diner turned and stared at them, before quickly turning back around and pretending to ignore them. Karkat’s cheeks burned with embarrassment. 

Food arrived, and the uncomfortable silence continued throughout the rest of the meal. Karkat texted Dave under the table. 

You: AFTER THIS WE’RE LEAVING. I NO LONGER CARE ABOUT ANSWERS _. _

Shades mcdouche: sounds chill

Shades mcdouche: what happened with you and mr my car is too expensive for who i am 

You: IT’S ALWAYS BEEN LIKE THIS. WE GET INTO ARGUMENTS ABOUT THE MOST INCONSEQUENTIAL SHIT. ONE TIME WE ARGUED ABOUT WHO GOT THE LAST BOWL OF CAP’N CRUNCH. IT WAS ME, BTW.

Shades mcdouche: nice capncrunch slaps

Shades mcdouche: saying something slaps means its good in case you didnt know

You: I WORK WITH HIGHSCHOOLERS FUCKASS. I AM ALSO AN ENGLISH TEACHER. I CAN USE MY REASONING SKILLS. 

Shades mcdouche: hah you have reasoning skills

You: GO FUCK YOURSELF

When the plates had been cleaned of food, and the waiter came to get them, Karkat politely asked to be driven back to the hotel sonce he and Dave needed to start heading home. Kankri begrudgingly agreed and less than an hour later Karkat was behind the wheel for the first driving shift. 

He headed for one of the streets that would take them out of the city, according to google maps. They stopped for gas on the way at the small gas station at the edge of the center of town, and Karkat grabbed some snacks and two drinks for later. The guy manning the register gave the two of them strange looks as they meandered around the store. 

“Where are you folks headed?” He asked, a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes came along with question. 

“Back home,” Karkat answered, intentionally being vague. “Not like it’s any of your business.” 

The man leaned forward, his breath stunk of cigarettes and black licorice. “You know they won’t let you, right? Don’t believe what they tell you, the church brings nothing but cancer.” 

Karkat regarded the man with concern. “Thank you?” 

“If someone asks, I never told you shit. They’d skin me alive if they found out I warned you,” He said, his words following Karkat out the door. 

“Creepy shithead,” He whispered to Dave. 

Five minutes later they ran into a human roadblock. A good twenty people stood shoulder to shoulder, barricading the exit. One woman broke ranks when the couple rolled to a stop. Karkat prepared himself to berate the group for blocking the road, but before he could, the lady knocked on the window. 

He rolled it down and glared at her. 

“Road’s closed, honey. Sorry, you’ll have to head back into town for another few days.” She said.

“What?” Karkat said dumbly. 

“Road’s closed, honey. Sorry, you’ll have to head back into town for another few days.” Her voice was soothing, but empty. It rang hollow, no true emotions behind it. Her eyes stayed blank as they bored into Karkat. He glanced towards the road again, getting more scared than annoyed. 

Karkat’s face paled when he realized every single person in the line up stared directly at him. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot write Kankri for the life of me, so he is incredibly OC, sorry Kankri stans. This whole chapter has been a bitch to write. Next chapter should be easier, more spooky shit and less scenes with more than 2 people.


	9. DISCONTINUATION NOTICE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes I will be discontinuing this despite what i said last time. Recap about both my trip and plans for the story are down at the bottom of you’d like to skip the more detailed piece.

Hey, so our trip lasted a total of two weeks. Skip to the end if you don’t want to read about my trip.

TRIP STUFF: We stayed a week in south dakota, went to a cave system, saw the presidents heads (i picked george washington’s nose through the magic of well placed hands and good camera angles). We went through Yellowstone, both in the day and in the night, saw a wolf and got within 3 feet of a elk (not my choice, when you have to pee as badly as I did, not even an elk can stand in your way).

My bro bro was an absolute shit and picking on me for my weight, which doesn’t make sense because i’m not even that overweight. Mom kept making excuses for him, saying how tired he was and how homesick he was, like that’s an excuse to be an asshole.I blame her poor parenting choices because he’s fourteen and should know better. I would expect this from a ten year old, not a fourteen year old. 

We visited Point Pleasant, West Virginia, which if you don’t know, is home to my favorite cryptid, Mothman. We had pizza that had a mothman made out of pizza toppings on it. My brother wrote that I suck on a wall with a rock because he was getting increasingly nasty towards both me and my mother at that point. Mom was pissed because that was our second to last day on the trip and we refused to even talk to each other. He pretended he couldn’t hear me and because i’m petty i did the same. I’m not proud of that, but he just wouldn’t listen whenever i tried to make amends. 

Besides that, I got a mothman hoodie, which is my new favorite, and i managed to catch a tiny lizard that was running around, so score! We couldn’t find the TnT woods sadly. I got pic with the Mothman statues ass, as well, because it’s a nice ass. 

STORY NEWS: I will not be continuing this story until i have it fully fleshed out and i figure out which direction i want it to go in. I will also be getting my beta reader’s approval of it first before continuing to post in this story since i’m on rocky new territory with a more horror-esque piece. I’m sorry to disappoint. I also feel like i need to go back to watching/reading homestuck to do the characters justice and keep them as true to canon as i can (i suck at Dave Strider Rants, which shows in my writing, since Karkat keeps cutting him off before he can go far.) It’s been months since i’ve even visited the homestuck fandom aside from when writing this. 

I’ve also got some big life changes happening which are making me super stressed and writing this just adds more stress because i want it to be the best and right now, i can’t give that. 

If you read all that, gold star for you, if you didn’t that’s chill, gold star anyways. I figured i owed people an explanation for my ling disappearance. Anywho, I might post other stuff, but it’ll probably be oneshots for other fandoms or old long fics i’ve completed months ago just never posted, so if you enjoy my writing style, stay tuned. Toodles. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> RECAP:   
> Road Trip: My brother a was a nightmare to be around. South Dakota was cool, saw a wolf at yellowstone, and got a pic with the mothman statues ass.   
> Story: This story was never fully fleshed out so imma do that before i even think of continuing. I may never get to it, so consider this discontinued.


End file.
